Why Encryption Is a Must for Your Server-Connected Devices

Why Encryption Is a Must for Your Server-Connected Devices

by Stephanie Faris on Monday, May 25 6:00

Workers today are increasingly mobile, connecting to the office whether they re at home or on the road. The line between personal and business devices has gradually blurred, making it normal for an employee to use the same device for work and personal communications. In some cases these are devices that were issued by the business but in many others, they are devices purchased and maintained by the employee himself.

Whatever the circumstances, when sensitive work data shares space with personal activities, a company can be at risk. Hackers can gain entry through an app or link click then do serious damage to a business s servers and connected devices. Through encryption, you can keep your servers safe from such activities.

What Is Encryption?

With encryption, data is converted to an unreadable format using software. Various solutions are available that can make this process easier, including those specific to iOS and Android devices. This is notable because all that laptops and desktops can be hacked, mobile devices can be easily misplaced and stolen. An encrypted device will lock after a certain number of mistyped passwords, making it completely inaccessible until an administrator unlocks it.

What Can Be Encrypted?

Encryption is no longer limited to computer hard drives. USB-connectible drives can also be encrypted. This includes the small flash drives and external hard drives that still linger around many offices today. These items are especially vulnerable to misplacement now, as professionals phase them out in favor of cloud-based storage options. If anyone in your business still uses these portable devices, they should either be encrypted or destroyed as soon as possible. Additionally, smartphones and tablets can be encrypted, as well as your laptops and desktops. Server movers have found that most IT industry professionals recommend against encrypting servers, since it introduces more problems than it resolves.

Why You Should Encrypt

If one of your devices is stolen and that device contains sensitive data, you could face serious problems. This is especially true if the device contained information like social security numbers or personal health information protected by HIPAA. You may be required to notify all potentially-impacted customers and purchase identity theft protection or each of them. This expense is in addition to the reputation damage you ll suffer because you didn t properly protect your customers. If a device is encrypted, even if it is stolen the data on it will be safe from interception, preventing you from suffering penalties.

Encryption Resources

There are a variety of software options for encrypting your device, including:

Encryption can keep your data safe across all of the devices within your organization. With so many tools available, encryption can be done even if your organization doesn t have a full IT staff. When you put these policies in place from the start, you ll have the peace of mind of knowing every device your employees are using is safe, regardless of employee behavior.